The F-35 fighter program is over budget and
behind schedule, but the contractors are working hard to get back cut costs and
adhere to time schedules. One of the most costly components of the F-35 is its
engine made by Pratt & Whitney. The company has announced that it is
working tolower
the price of the engine and that the price could drop even more in the
coming years.

This news comes ahead of the start of negotiations
between the Pentagon and primary contractor Lockheed Martin for the next batch
of fighters. Bennett Croswell, president of Pratt & Whitney military
engines said, "We have activities planned and in place to bring the cost
down in [low-rate initial production] 5."

The fifth batch of F-35 fighters is part of the
LRIP 5 batch. Pratt & Whitney has plans to reduce the cost of the F135
engine to the price of the older F119 engine that the F-22A uses. What exactly
those prices are is unknown since that is proprietary information owned by the
engine builder. Pratt & Whitney has said that it was able to beat the price
target during the negotiations for the fourth batch of fighters and it hoped to
be able to beat pricing again on the fifth batch purchase.

Croswell said, "We're constantly looking at
ways to do even better than what that plan is."

While negotiations are going on for the next batch
of engines, Pratt & Whitney has announced that it has found a way to
increase the thrust of the F135 engine used in the vertically landing version
of the F-35 that will be flown by the Marine Corps. The change will add 100
pounds of thrust to the engine and the company is also trying to reduce the
weight of the engine by 100 pounds.

There are some in Washington that want to see
development of the second F-35 engine renewed. Anamendment
proposedby the House would allow the second engine to be
developed at the cost of the builder. The second engine for the F-35 wasofficially
killedin March.

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What P&W is doing is allowing the engine computer to temporarily boost power with more fuel. The downside is hotter turbine temps which means less time between overhauls. They claim they have tested the motor at the higher temps and it passes durability tests, but it's sure to raise the operating cost of that type as the engine computer will surely ask for maintenance more often.

...but that is definitely going to cheaper than a whole nother engine program.

...but won't matter if the B model get canceled ... which will mean a large amount of the design compromises will have been for nothing.

The F35 will be a kick ass jet, but it could have been better. I think it's obvious now that the costs would be much better if the B model had nothing to do with the A/C models...enough so that the marine plane could be a separate contract and program and still been cheaper.